


Love In Waiting

by AJsRandom



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Merlin, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Magic Revealed, Mutual Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-04 06:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5323163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJsRandom/pseuds/AJsRandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The events of S1 lead Morgana and Arthur back into love with one another. Neither acknowledge their feelings until Morgana is kidnapped by a mysterious woman. What does she want and will Morgana be saved before she gets it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love In Waiting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eyebrowofdoom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyebrowofdoom/gifts).



> The story takes place between S1 and S2 and is canon-compliant up til the beginning, AU afterward. Also, Morgana and Arthur are not related. You’ll see why.

The woman in red turned to her lackey and asked, “Are they here?”

The lackey, who’d just entered the room, scrunched his face. “They are here, but why you—”

“That is not your concern, is it?” she cut him off. “Bring their leader to me.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The woman waited a few more minutes before the lackey re-entered the room with a tall, grungy-looking man. The truth was she didn’t usually deal with this type of man, but he was what she needed in order to carry out her plan. And her plan _would_ succeed. “Your name,” she stated to the mercenaries’ leader.

“Ragnor, my lady.”

“Well Ragnor, here’s the job—you must kidnap the Lady Morgana and bring her to me.”

Ragnor paled. “Kidnap her from the citadel?”

“No, you fool. Every year at this time, she visits the grave of her father. She will only have a few knights with her. Your group can subdue them, yes?”

“Knights of Camelot? Y-yes, if we outnumber them.”

“Good.” She walked over to the table and pointed to a map of Camelot. “Here is the location of her father’s grave.” Ragnor nodded. The woman picked up the scroll, rolled it up and handed it to him. “Be there in two days’ time then bring her to me.”

“Of course. And our payment?” The woman walked over to a chest behind them. She withdrew a heavy bag and brought it back to the mercenary. “This is half. You will receive the other half when you return with the Lady Morgana.”

Ragnor looked annoyed but nodded. “That is agreeable, my lady.”

“Good. Do not fail—you don’t want to face my wrath.”

He shuddered. “Of course not.”

“You may go.”

Ragnor nodded and left while the lackey returned to the room. “My lady, may I ask, why Lady Morgana?”

The woman didn’t bother turning around, but answered, “Because she is someone I wish to know.”

The lackey nodded thoughtfully and left the room. If the Lady Morgana was going to visit, preparations must be made, and there was plenty to do.

xxxXxxx

The Lady Morgana sat staring out her window. She watched Arthur and Merlin cross the courtyard, talking animatedly, and smiled. She’d noted a change in Arthur since Merlin had arrived in Camelot a year ago. The Prince cared more about the people and how his actions affected others. He looked to be on his way to becoming a great king.

She smiled as she thought about how her feelings had changed. When she’d first come to Camelot, she and Arthur couldn’t stand each other. He didn’t understand girls and hadn’t bothered to try. That lasted until they were both fourteen and discovered what hormones did to them. They were each other’s first kiss, awkward and fumbling. It had been pleasant though, and they’d experimented a few more times before figuring out that they were better off as friends. They bonded over Uther’s parenting, or lack thereof, and even trained together until Uther had banned it for her, calling it “unladylike.”

Then Arthur had begun training intensively for his knighthood. He didn’t have much time for her anymore and they drifted apart. As he spent time with sons of the nobles at court, their arrogance rubbed off on him. He became filled with pride at his accomplishments, which was justified, but what he did with it was not. His title became something to bully others with, until Merlin came along.

Now Morgana could see Arthur’s good side shining through again. Merlin kept Arthur’s pride in check by treating him like he’d treat anyone else and refusing to be bullied. And his attitude rubbed off on Arthur. He saved Merlin’s life by going against his father. He listened to his better nature to save the Druid boy, Merlin’s home village and the kingdom. Morgana found her old infatuation with him coming to life again.

Then the questing beast bit him. Morgana had grieved so much that she didn’t go see him at all, but spent time in her chambers crying or praying. She’d sent Gwen to look after him, because she felt guilty for withdrawing so much from him. And when he’d been cured, she’d rejoiced the loudest, flying to his side to hold his hand.

And now she knew—she _was_ slowly falling for him. Even though they considered each other as brother and sister now, her love was changing. It felt so good to watch him, to see him growing into his responsibilities and carrying out his duties. So if Uther decided to marry them, she’d agree with a joyful heart.

xxxXxxx

That night, Arthur lay in bed contemplating his life. He had a good almost-but-not-quite friend in his servant. His father trusted him more and gave him more responsibilities—they even got along fairly well these days. And he found he enjoyed getting to know his people. A few months ago he wouldn’t have deigned to know or think what peasants felt or thought, but the more he got to know Merlin, the more he wanted to know others.

And then there was Morgana. Months ago they’d barely interacted, and when they had, it had been forced. Bickering in private and tolerant in public. They’d grown so far apart from their old camaraderie, he had no idea what she liked anymore.

But then Merlin had gotten himself poisoned and Morgana reminded him of what was important. How common people could be important. They began spending more time together after that and he began to remember how they’d bonded as teenagers. So when she’d gotten ill, he was devastated. He would never have asked the suspicious-looking Edwin for help before, but now he would, every time. She was constantly reminding him to look outside himself, to make his own decisions about what was right for him and his people. Because one day he’d be responsible for every single one.

By joining Merlin’s cause, she’d inspired him. He’d learned so much from that trip and from her example. It seemed natural to resume their old friendship and he found that Gwen and Merlin fit right in too. Both servants enhanced it and he found himself listening to their ideas and changing his mind because of them.

Then the questing beast had bitten him. He still remembered his fevered dreams from the time he’d spent unconscious. Many made little sense, but Morgana had featured in them. He’d seen her in her finest moments—standing up to his father, caring for the Druid boy, pushing him to get the flower for Merlin . . . she’d really brought out the best in him. How could he not notice? Old feelings began stirring in him and he wondered if he could be falling for her again.

When he woke, she was there by his side, holding his hand. She soothed his brow and needled him to lift his spirits. He realized he did care for her more than he had before. Certainly more than he had as a teenager, and she appeared to feel the same way. His heart took flight at this, and he knew if his father forced them to marry, he would do so gladly.

xxxXxxx

“Morgana, you look so sad. Is there anything I can do for you?” Gwen asked. She’d entered the room walked over to stand next to her mistress.

The Lady smiled, halfhearted, then turned to her maid and friend. “No, Gwen. I’m sorry for being so glum. It’s just that time of year again …”

Gwen looked horrified that she’d forgotten. “Oh, Morgana, how silly of me. Your father, of course. We’re going to his grave tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“We should get ready. Is there anything specific you want to take along?” And Gwen was off in a flurry of packing.

Morgana smiled at her friend and turned back to her window. The only thing that could improve this trip was if Arthur could come along. He’d asked Uther at breakfast yesterday but had been shut down almost before he’d gotten the request out. The King insisted the half dozen knights he was sending were sufficient and he couldn’t possibly spare Arthur too. Morgana thought it was Uther’s way of maintaining control over his son; he’d obviously sensed Arthur pulling away.

Still, Arthur had tried. He’d been much more attentive lately, knowing what time of year it was and how it affected his foster-sister. It meant an awful lot to Morgana. She remembered with fondness the flowers Merlin had brought her that morning, at Arthur’s request. She smiled and began conversing with Gwen, suddenly glad for the company.

xxxXxxx

Arthur grumped through the day. He was still irritated his father had denied his request to accompany Morgana. He wanted to go anyway, but the King, unfortunately, had a point. Several new knighthood candidates had arrived and it was his job to assess them. And since Uther had to keep his nobles happy, the new men couldn’t sit around for long.

He sat as his desk, attempting to do paperwork. Merlin was quietly- for him -moving about the room doing the chores Arthur had given him. He was almost sorry his bad mood had meant more work for Merlin, but shook it off and spoke up. “Merlin.”

“Yes, Arthur?” the servant appeared at his side. Somehow he’d let Merlin become much too informal with him. It was useless to correct him now.

“You did pick flowers and give them to Morgana, yes?”

Merlin gave him a mock-offended look. “Of course!”

“Good. She’s been feeling down lately, because the anniversary of her father’s death is tomorrow.”

“I noticed that.”

Arthur made a decision. “Help me think of other ways to cheer her up since I can’t go with her tomorrow.”

Merlin pulled a chair over from the table and plopped himself into it. “All right, let’s see . . .”

Arthur wasn’t sure when or why he’d started using Merlin as a sounding board, but he did notice he was doing it more and more often. He was surprised at the knowledge his servant seemed to have, but was glad he had it—he was proving himself very useful now.

xxxXxxx

The morning of Morgana’s trip dawned gray and promised rain later, but that never stopped her. Arthur met Morgana at the bottom of the front steps while they waited for the horses to be brought round.

“The way is clear,” Arthur told her. “A patrol just came back through there last night and reported no bandit sightings.” He took both her hands in his.

“Thank you, Arthur,” she replied.

He reached out a hand to lift her head up. “Don’t worry—you’re going with the best knights I have to spare.”

She looked him in the eye. “It’s not that.”

“What is it then?”

“I—”

Gwen came up at that moment. “My Lady, it’s time to go.” She curtsied to Arthur. “Your highness.”

Sometimes Arthur noticed Gwen watching him then looking away when he glanced at her. He wondered if it had anything to do with what she supposedly hadn’t said to him while he was ill. He was flattered by the attention, but she was a servant and he couldn’t see her like that even if he was inclined.

Morgana was saying something, which pulled him back into the present. “—see you later this evening then, Arthur.”

“Yes. Goodbye, Morgana.”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek then quickly stepped away. He was surprised, and lifted a hand to touch where her lips had just been. When he glanced round to find her, he saw one of his knights helping her to mount her horse. He watched her settle into the saddle and look back at him. He smiled and waved. She smiled back and turned around to nudge her horse into movement.

He stood there watching her until she was almost at the gate. She turned in the saddle again to look at him. She looked utterly melancholy and he wanted to rush over to hold her in his arms. Then she turned away and was out the gate. Visiting her father’s grave would be good for her mood, he thought, hoping for Morgana’s sake that it would.

xxxXxxx

After they’d ridden for a while in the woods, Gwen looked over at her mistress. The look on Morgana’s face indicated she was deep in thought, and not about something happy. But she didn’t think it was due to the somber occasion for their ride, either.

“You look troubled, Morgana.”

“I'm fine,” the Lady replied.

“You're very secretive these days. I'm beginning to think there's a man involved.”

Morgana snorted. “When do I get to meet any decent men?”

“All the time—at banquets and such.”

“Trust me Gwen, hardly _any_ of them are decent.”

“That’s too bad.”

That started a discussion of the various men of nobility in and around Camelot. It lasted most of the way to Gorlois’s gravesite. One of the knights alerted them that they were getting close and they stopped talking. Morgana regained her melancholy expression.

Once there, the group tied their horses to a cluster of trees. The knights followed Morgana and Gwen, who walked to the grave, then surrounded them in a wide circle. They wanted to keep her safe while maintaining a respectful distance.

The two women knelt at the grave. Lost in her grief, Morgana reached out her hand to touch the stone, but a sudden cry made her look up.

A large group of men had ridden up and had engaged every single knight. There appeared to be four bandits to each knight, which meant the knights would probably lose. Gwen cried out in alarm and turned her back to Morgana. She spread her arms wide and said, “Stay behind me, my lady!”

Morgana now had her back to her father’s grave stone. Her eyes roved all around the grassy, hilly area, watching the men from Camelot losing their battles. Before long, every man in a red cape was on the ground and the bandits made their way toward the women.

“Stay back!” Gwen screamed.

The bandits just laughed and ignored her, continuing to advance. They eventually stopped and a single man came forward until he stood right in front of Gwen. He chuckled and reached out a hand to touch Gwen’s face. She flinched away as far as she could, but didn’t move away from Morgana. “As pretty as you are, my dear, I’m not here for you.” He turned his head to his men. “Remove her.”

Two men strode forward, grabbed her arms and pulled her away from Morgana. The bandit leader whistled neatly. “You really are as beautiful as I’ve heard.”

“Get away from me, you pig,” Morgana spat.

“Well, well, the beauty has spirit too.”

“I’ve got a lot more than that.” Morgana leapt at the man, reaching for his throat. She’d just gotten her hands around it when two more men pulled her away from their leader.

The man rubbed his neck briefly and turned to face Morgana. “Why you little—” he raised his hand and made as if he was going to backhand her. But he stopped right before he touched her face and instead caressed it. “You’re going to be fun to manhandle.”

A vicious look came over Morgana’s face. “I demand that you release us immediately!”

Ragnor chuckled. “I don’t think so. You’re coming with us. An interested party very much wants to meet you. And as we can’t have you knowing where we’re going . . .” he snapped his fingers and a man handed him a long, thick piece of cloth. “You’ll be blindfolded. Hold her still.” He ducked behind her and tied the cloth over her eyes and around her head.

Morgana heard Gwen start to protest and the leader told someone to silence her. “Let me go!” Gwen yelled. Suddenly a rough hand clapped over her mouth and cut her off.

Footsteps sounded as the man walked away from her, probably toward Gwen. “Listen carefully, maidservant. You’re to tell Uther that the Lady Morgana will be held _indefinitely_. We want no ransom and will release her at a time of our choosing. He is to send no one to follow us or she _will_ be harmed. Do you understand?”

Someone must have removed his hand from Gwen’s mouth, because Morgana heard her say a weak, “Yes.”

“Good. Take her to her horse and let her go.” Footsteps trailed away from the group, and Morgana thought, _at least Gwen will get away_.

“The rest of you separate into your groups and ride in your designated directions. We’ll rendezvous at _the place_. Good luck.”

There was a lot of talking as the large group of men went away to wherever they’d stashed their horses. Footsteps approached Morgana again. The hand came off her mouth and she opened it to speak her mind again, but was interrupted.

“Now, my dear Lady Morgana, you will come with _me_. We’ll ride to meet my patron, who will probably treat you well, so you need not fear. Come.”

The men holding her began to pull her forward. She dug in her heels, but they would have none of it and just lifted her. She finally gave up, put her feet on the ground and began walking in the direction they were shoving her.

“Help her up,” the leader’s voice said from above her. She started to struggle, so the man ordered the others to bind her hands. Between the pulling and pushing of the men around her, Morgana found herself sitting astride a horse, the body of the leader behind her. “Be good now,” he told her, “my horse is fairly sensitive. Who knows what will happen if she’s disturbed too much?

She had no way of knowing whether he was lying or not, but she couldn’t take the risk. She was trapped with this mercenary and his underlings for the foreseeable future.

xxxXxxx

The guards watched Gwen in surprise as she rode alone through the gate. It was nearing dusk and the whole party should be back now, not just one lone maid. But Gwen ignored them and rode right into the courtyard. Arthur had been watching from his window and ran down to meet her as she flew inside, out of breath.

“Gwen, what is it?” he queried.

“I . . . have to see . . . the King . . . Morgana . . .”

Arthur’s heart dropped to his stomach. “Morgana? Where is she? Why are you alone?”

“Bandits . . . waylaid us . . . at the gravesite. They . . . killed the knights, took Morgana . . .”

“Come, let’s get you to my father. He’s in his chambers.” Arthur grabbed Gwen’s elbow and gently pulled her along, up the stairs and down corridors until they stood in front of Uther’s door. “Ready?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Okay, here goes.” He knocked on Uther’s door and waited until he heard an “enter” from inside. Then he pushed the door open and strode in, Gwen a pace behind him. He inclined his head and said, “Father.”

“Arthur,” Uther replied. He looked up at his son, curious about the cause of the interruption. “Why is Morgana’s maid here? Where is Morgana?”

“That’s what she’s here to explain, Father.”

Uther’s eyes flitted over to Gwen. “Please do so.”

“Your majesty,” Gwen said and curtsied. “I accompanied Lady Morgana to her father’s gravesite this morning. Our party was set upon by bandits, sire, and all the knights were slain.”

“What?” Uther stood, alarmed.

“Sire, they restrained myself and Lady Morgana. They blindfolded her and led her away, to ride somewhere I do not know. I was allowed free on the condition I give you their message.”

“What is it?”

“They plan to hold her indefinitely and want no ransom. Their leader—he said to send no one to look for her or she will be harmed.”

“How will they—” Arthur started.

Uther cut him off. “Arthur, gather the knights immediately, we must go after her at once.” He started walking toward the door but Arthur stopped him with a hand.

“Father, did you not hear the warning?”

Uther looked at his son, incredulous. “Of course I did. We can’t let that stop us.”

“But a large group of knights—Father, they would be highly visible. The enemy would know and they would hurt her . . .”

“She _must_ be rescued. If not by a large force of knights, then how?”

“I’ll go by myself. You know I’m the best tracker we’ve got.”

“Yes, but—”

“I’ll have a greater chance of finding her on my own than with a squad of knights.” He could see he was changing Uther’s mind. “Please, Father.”

“All right,” Uther finally said. He reached out a hand to Arthur’s shoulder. “But Arthur . . . please be careful. I couldn’t bear to lose both of you.”

Arthur nodded. “I will.” He turned to Gwen and gestured for her to follow him out. They walked almost all the way to his chambers before he spoke again. “Is there anything else you can tell me that will help me find them?”

“I’m not sure, sire. I think they planned to split up into different groups. But they sent me away before I saw them do anything.” Her head fell to her chest. “I’m sorry sire.”

He put a hand on her shoulder; she looked up. “It’s all right, Gwen, that _does_ help, believe it or not.” She gave him a small smile. “Now, could you find my lazy, no-good servant and send him to me? It appears I have a trip to pack for.”

She smiled and nodded then turned and left. Arthur went inside his chambers and shut the door behind him. As soon as the door had closed, his calm façade fell from his face. He sat in his favorite chair and tried to plan ahead, but all that went through his mind was, _Morgana is missing_.

His pattern of thought was disrupted as Merlin barged into the room. “Did I hear Gwen right? Morgana’s been kidnapped?”

Arthur took a deep breath before answering. “Unfortunately, yes. But I’m going to rescue her and you’re coming along.”

“Great. Just great. So we’re going into the woods for an unknown period of time to who-knows-where.”

“You assume correctly.”

“And we’re facing bandits?”

“Mercenaries, more like. They killed six knights.”

“Terrific! And, of course, we have no idea who hired them.”

“Nope. Could be a vengeful king, a bloodthirsty warlord or a scheming sorceress.”

“This just keeps getting better and better. I’ll—”

“Merlin, just shut up and pack my things. Then pack your things and some food. We’ll leave at first light.”

“Do we leave at any _other_ time of day?”

“ _Merl_ in!”

“Shutting up, sire.” And amazingly, he did for the rest of the time he was in Arthur’s chambers.

Eventually Merlin left to do his chores for Gaius. Arthur sat at his table with various documents he meant to read spread out in front of him. But he stared at them, uncomprehending, as the calm, princely façade faded from his face. _Morgana’s in trouble_.

The words intensified the ache in his stomach and it spread upwards to his chest until he had trouble breathing. He suddenly had to force himself to breathe while his heart beat wildly. _Morgana might die_.

He put his head in his hands and threaded his hands into his hair. _What does this mean? This, this . . . anxiety?_ Because whatever this was, it went deeper than worry for a friend or sibling. He tried to objectively asses his feelings and came up with only one.

 _Love_. He was in love with Morgana. To his surprise, he discovered it hadn’t been sudden, but building over the last few months. He’d tried to deny it before, when he thought of it, but he should have figured he couldn’t fight it. Those feelings had roared back to life again and he didn’t think he could tamp them down any longer. He knew when he saw her next he’d have to tell her and not think about the consequences. He just hoped she felt the same or . . . he didn’t want to think about it.

xxxXxxx

Morgana’s ride was, at best, uncomfortable. The man behind her didn’t hold her too tightly, at least. But they’d already ridden some distance and she could tell by the air temperature that night had fallen. Finally the man reined in his horse and said, “We’ll stop here for the night.”

The Lady was manhandled off the horse. She put her feet on the ground and stood there, waiting for someone to direct her someplace. If they were going to make things difficult for her- bound and blindfolded -she was going to make things difficult for them.

She heard men walking all around her, unpacking the horses, starting a fire . . . but no one paid attention to her. “Excuse me,” she prodded.

There was some raucous laughing as footsteps finally approached her. “Something vexes you, my lady?” the leader’s voice said close to her.

“Yes. You’ve placed me here, where I can’t see, and have given me no direction. Where am I to sit? What am I to eat? Where am I to sleep?”

The leader chuckled next to her. “My, my, aren’t we touchy? Shall we prepare a place of rest for her ladyship?” There was more laughing but also the sounds of people moving various objects around. “This way,” the man said finally. He pulled Morgana to the left and gently pushed her downward.

She found herself on a soft something. “We have dinner. If I untie your hands will you fight me?”

Morgana was surprised at his gentleness and shook her head. She felt hands at her wrists, untying the rope. Once she was free, she reached up to pull off the blindfold, but was stopped by a pair of hands. “No you don’t. Keep it on or I’ll bind you again and feed you myself.”

She sighed but nodded. “Fine.”

A bowl was placed in one of her hands and a rough spoon in the other. She managed to feed herself well enough by bringing the bowl relatively close to her face. She heard the men laughing and joking and sighed. She missed Camelot dearly right now, Arthur, Gwen, Merlin . . . she pushed back tears and sat her bowl down.

The bowl was whisked away and the leader’s voice came again. “You should lay down and get some rest. Someone will be watching you all night, so don’t think of trying to get away.”

Another blanket was pushed into her hand, so she spread it over herself and laid back, feeling for the edge of the bottom blanket. She curled up on her side and lay there listening for a while. The men were careful not to talk about where they were or where they were going. She slowly drifted to sleep.

She was woken when a rough hand and the leader’s voice saying, “Time to go. Will you keep your hands to yourself again?”

“Yes. But when will we arrive?”

“Oh, probably just after midday.”

“Do I get to know any more than that?”

“No. Only that you’ll be treated very well and unharmed—unless your King sends someone to find you.”

 _You’d better hope he doesn’t_ , she thought. Uther would want to send half his knight corps but Arthur would talk him out of it. He’d want to come himself, probably alone. Well, alone with _Merlin_. She fought back a smile; it wouldn’t do to alert the man to her thoughts. Arthur would find her and rescue her, whatever measures these men had taken.

xxxXxxx

Dawn came way too early for Merlin, who just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. But he’d seen how worried Gwen was for Morgana and couldn’t let her down. Arthur was also acting a little more concerned than normal, but Morgana was practically his sister if nothing else. So he rolled over and got out of bed, dressed and grabbed his bag. The Prince would be extra crabby if he didn’t get woken on time.

He found the Prince awake and standing at his window. Though unexpected, it made Merlin happier—even on a good day Arthur was reluctant to wake. “You’re up early,” he commented.

“Didn’t sleep well,” Arthur replied. That could be for a number of reasons, but Merlin thought it was probably worry for Morgana.

“Sorry to hear that. Let’s get you dressed and we can go.” Arthur opened his mouth to say something but Merlin stopped him. “I know, nothing to show you’re from Camelot. Easier said than done, since I packed most of that yesterday.” He got Arthur dressed and they were quickly out the door with the portable breakfast Merlin had brought.

Surprisingly, the King was waiting for Arthur at the front steps. He put a hand to his son’s shoulder and said, “Be safe.” Arthur just nodded and walked down the steps to his horse.

In short order, he and Merlin had packed the horses and left, heading up the main road north. They’d soon turn westward through the Darkling Woods. But for now, they rode, mostly in silence. Arthur appeared too distracted for banter and Merlin knew it would be a bad idea to try it.

At midmorning, Merlin was ready for a break. He was loathe to bring it up to Arthur, but felt it worth a try. “Arthur.” No answer. “ _Arthur_.”

“What is it, _Mer_ lin?”

“Can we take a short break? We’ve been riding for hours.”

“We’re nearly there.”

“I guessed that, but I’m getting drowsy.” He _had_ been there before, though Arthur couldn’t know that.

“Really? This should help.” Arthur opened his flask and threw water at Merlin's face. His aim, of course, was excellent.

Merlin glared. “Thank you. I feel _so_ much better.”

“Morgana's life is at stake. We cannot afford to waste a second.”

“Ugh,” Merlin relied. He dried his face with his neckerchief and rode on at the accelerated pace Arthur had set.

They reached Gorlois’s grave about an hour later. Arthur stopped at the bottom of the hill and tied up his horse. Merlin followed suit and they began searching for tracks.

Fortunately it didn’t take them long. Unfortunately, the tracks spread out in several directions. The mercenaries had pulled an old but good trick by dividing up into several groups. It was aggravating, but Arthur made a few guesses. “They probably wouldn’t let her ride alone, so we’ve got to find a set of tracks that are twice as deep as the others. That’ll indicate someone riding double.”

Merlin was awfully glad Arthur was around to think of these things. He’d probably have tried something magical that would have taken longer. As it was, it took them less than an hour to single out the doubly-burdened horse’s prints. And It was Arthur who’d found them. They took a short break to eat a cold lunch then rode off again.

Arthur was in full tracking mode now; he rode with his eyes mostly on the ground. He was this way all the way through the afternoon until they finally stopped at what looked like an old campsite. The Prince dismounted and checked the campfire, saying “it’s been dead since morning. He looked up and noticed the lateness of the hour—near dusk. “We might as well stop here for the night. It’s obviously a good place to camp.”

While Merlin set up camp, Arthur went to hunt something fresh for dinner. He came back with a pair of rabbits, which Merlin dressed and cooked. After dinner, they sat and talked for a while about inconsequential things, but Merlin could tell Arthur wasn’t relaxing. In fact, it got exhausting to watch and he finally told his master he was ready to sleep. Arthur had already claimed first watch and sat back against a tree to stare at the fire. He remained in that position until Merlin fell asleep.

xxxXxxx

The mercenaries rode all through the morning, only stopping once for a break. At last the air seemed to change around them and Morgana could tell they’d made it to their destination. That, and the change from dirt to cobblestones beneath the horses’ feet.

“We’re here, my lady,” the leader said behind her. He dismounted carefully then pulled her down after. It felt nice to have stone beneath her shoes, but then she remembered she was in hostile territory and couldn’t relax.

A new voice rang out. “Welcome back, gentlemen. If you could bring our, ah, guest this way please.”

Morgana felt a hand grab her elbow to steer her in whatever new direction the voice had indicated. They went up steps and through a doorway, she supposed, because the door shut behind them. So she was now inside. “This way,” the voice said again, and they changed direction a couple more times.

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally stopped. “Here,” the voice said. Another door was opened and she was hauled inside and pushed forward until her shins hit something hard.

“Sit,” the leader’s voice commanded. Morgana turned and sat down on the thing, which turned out to be a cot. She put her hands out to feel around her when the man spoke again, “Sit still.”

She felt hands working at the back of her head and the blindfold suddenly slid off her face. Finally she could open her eyes and she stared, blinking, at her new surroundings. She was in a small room with a barred window high up on the wall, a chair and the cot she sat upon. “Where am I?”

“That’s not important. But our host will be visiting you soon and they will reveal all they wish you to know.” He looked up over her head for a moment then back at her. “I’m sorry, but I have to do this.” He reached behind her head; she swiveled to see what he was doing and saw manacles attached to chains.

“Please don’t,” Morgana whispered.

“I’m sorry.” He attached a manacle to each of her wrists then stood back to look at her. He then shook his head and left the room. The sound of a key in the lock felt ominous to Morgana and she sat back, prepared to wait for her mystery host to reveal her purpose here.

Several hours later, the sound of footsteps outside the door startled her from a doze. A voice said “ _Sceadu mec wreoþ_ ” then the key turned in the lock again.

A figure stepped through the door but Morgana couldn’t see it clearly. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, but the figure didn’t get any clearer. A shadow appeared to be hanging over him or her—she couldn’t tell which at this point. It appeared to be wearing a dress though it could just as easily be wearing robes.

“Good evening, Morgana,” a female voice said, pulling Morgana’s attention away from her contemplation.

“Who are you?”

“A friend.”

“You call yourself a friend? Yet you put me in these . . .” she shook her manacled hands, “and obscure your face with magic? No friend does those things.” Even as she spoke, an odd sense of familiarity crept over her. The woman felt familiar somehow, like Morgana should know her. But since she refused to reveal her face . . .

“I hope we can become friends, at least.”

“Not very likely, unless you release me . . ?”

A bubbling laugh came from the woman. “Why would I do that? We’ve only begun to be acquainted.”

“Why me? Why kidnap _me_?”

“That’s such an ugly word, Morgana. I’ve merely detained you for a few days so I could get to know you. I wanted to know if you’re worthy . . .”

“Worthy of what?”

“You’ll see.”

“But . . .”

“Sleep now, Morgana. _Onslӕpe nu_.”

Morgana’s eyes closed against her will and soon she was sleeping peacefully.

xxxXxxx

Merlin had fallen asleep against a tree and was just beginning to rouse when he felt something cold and liquid-y on his face. He opened his eyes to see Arthur standing over him, flask in hand. “ _Mer_ lin,” he said.

“What's happening? How long was I asleep?”

“Long enough.”

“You didn’t wake me.” He looked his friend over. “And you look terrible—didn’t you get any rest?”

“Couldn't sleep.”

Merlin made an educated guess. “I've never seen you like this. About anyone.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Morgana. You really care about her, don't you?”

“She’s like a sister to me.”

“That’s _not_ what I meant.”

Arthur gave him a frustrated growl. “What I care about is not wasting any more time talking. Let's get moving.”

Merlin smirked but got up. They had some leftover rabbit and dried fruit for breakfast, then packed up. Arthur looked around for the now day-old trail and found it without too much trouble. They mounted up and resumed the activity of the previous day—tracking the mercenaries.

Merlin fervently hoped they didn’t have too far to go. His bottom didn’t get used like this very often. But there was no way to tell until they reached their destination. At least Arthur was being a little more talkative. But he avoided the topic Merlin really wanted to know about—how much _did_ he care about Morgana? He thought things had cooled between them but it was obvious he was wrong.

After a couple hours, they stopped to refill their water flasks. Arthur took a few minutes to wipe down his face and neck. He looked distracted and Merlin wanted to help him out of that. And maybe poke fun at him, if the opportunity arose. “Why don't you just admit your feelings for Morgana?”

“What?”

“It's so obvious. A blind man could see it.” He paused for effect. “Is it really that hard to admit you like her? Just say it.”

“I can't! How can I admit that I think about her all the time? Or that . . . I care about her more than anyone. How can I admit that . . . I don't know what I'll do if any harm comes to her?”

“Why can't you?”

“Because I’m so rubbish at feelings! Have you _heard_ me try to talk about my feelings?”

“Um . . .”

“See! You know I’m telling the truth. Besides, she’ll never believe me. She knows me too well.”

“I didn’t know things were so serious.”

“Well they are, okay?”

“What if she feels the same way?”

“That would . . . that would be amazing. But I doubt it.”

“Why?”

“Have you seen her act differently around me? At all?”

“Well . . . “

“See, I told you.” He glanced away. “Now come on, let’s get going again. I have a feeling we’re getting close.”

“You do, do you?”

“Yeah.” He stuck his tongue out at Merlin and got on his horse.

Merlin just shook his head and mounted his horse. It probably was futile to needle him further, especially if he wanted any peace.

It was close to noon when they discovered it—a small, abandoned-looking keep. They stayed well back from it, in the forest, so they weren’t spotted. There was no one guarding the outside that they could see, and nothing, like smoke, to indicate it was inhabited. They circled around the thing, just to be sure, and to scout for entry points. Then they went back a bit into the forest to discuss how and where they’d get in. It was looking more and more like magic was involved in Morgana’s capture.

xxxXxxx

Morgana woke in the morning, groggy from all the extra sleep she’d gotten the day previous. She looked around the room to find nothing new, except a plate of food sitting on the chair. She quickly devoured the fruit, bread and cheese since she’d missed dinner last night.

A short while after she’d finished, she heard the same incantation outside her door and the key in the lock. The same shadowy female figure entered and saw the plate on the chair. She waved her hand and the plate disappeared. To where, Morgana had no idea. She merely sat on the cot and watched the woman sit.

“Good morning, Morgana. How are you?” she said.

“Groggy. I slept too much and I have a headache,” Morgana replied. It was the bald truth.

“I’m sorry about that. I can heal you.”

“How? With magic?” Morgana backed away as far as she could, to the wall.

“Yes, with magic. It is nothing to fear, please believe me. The visions you experience at night, they stem from your magic.”

“ _My_ magic?”

“Yes, Morgana, you have magic. And are you evil?”

“N-no.”

“Then how can magic be evil? Perhaps it is time you reconsider what Uther has taught you.”

She thought for a moment. “All right. You can heal me.”

“Thank you, Morgana.” A shadowy hand reached for her and lay against her forehead. “ _Ge hailige_ ,” the woman spoke.

Morgana instantly felt better. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. You don’t sleep well very often, do you?”

“No, the nightmares- _visions_ -wake me at all hours. I often don’t go back to sleep.”

The hand on her head brushed her hair back then vanished as the woman sat again. “I’m sorry. Until you learn to control the visions, the seer’s gift is often more of a curse.”

“Can you help me?”

“I’m afraid I know very little about your particular gift, I’m sorry.”

Morgana’s face fell. “Oh.”

“Will you converse with me? I wish to know all about your life.”

“I have nothing better to do.” Morgana told her story of being born in Cornwall and the disappearance of her mother. She explained how her visions started and how she saw her father die when she was ten. She continued with her move to Camelot, getting to know Uther and Arthur as well as the ins and outs of court life. The woman stopped her there, but said she’d be back after lunch.

After a couple hours spent examining her cell for weak points, the woman came back, shadowed as usual. This time the woman wanted to know all about Uther and Arthur, their personalities, habits and so forth. Morgana gave her several facts, but only general ones. She was smart enough to know when she was being plumbed for information and knew not to give too much. Still, the woman seemed satisfied and got up to leave again, telling her she’d be back in the evening.

Morgana couldn’t help dozing again; they’d left her with nothing to do besides sit, think and sleep. So sleep she did, knowing the woman would probably offer to heal her again if she needed it. She was woken after a few hours by the sound of the door opening and a plate being slid across the floor. This meal consisted of meat, bread and cheese and filled her nicely.

The woman came back after dinner, as promised. She asked Morgana about the things she studied as a child and the activities that consumed her days. Morgana related her sword training and how she’d beat Arthur more than once. She told her about gardening, weaving, sewing, and her work with Camelot’s poor. The woman seemed satisfied after that and bid Morgana good night.

Morgana stayed up a little while, thinking. What could this woman gain by asking her all about her life? If she’d wanted to harm Camelot, she would have asked about its defenses, numbers of knights and fortifications. But she hadn’t. Or maybe she was saving that for another day.

Whatever it was for, Morgana seemed to have little choice in the matter. Who knew what would happen if she refused? This dire thought consumed her mind until she fell into a solid sleep.

xxxXxxx

By nightfall, Arthur was jittery from having to remain still and hidden all day. Merlin just smiled. It was tough for a man of action to just sit and wait. But he'd be wide awake when it was time for their “attack.”

The plan they'd come up with involved slipping through the servants' entrance on one side of the castle. They'd observed it for a few hours and only ever saw a handful going in and out. Chances were they'd all be bedding down soon and that would be when they'd sneak in.

They had no idea where Morgana might be being held, but they decided to start at the bottom floor and work their way up. Hopefully they found her before they found the mercenaries or whoever held her captive.

At last the hour arrived. Arthur jumped up like a coiled spring. He directed Merlin with those hand gestures the warlock still didn't understand. But they got to the door and inside undetected. From here they looked for stairs to go down and after a few minutes, they found them.

They found themselves on the dungeon level with no visible guards. Most of the cells were like the ones at Camelot, open air and barred. But there were a few with doors. They looked in all those and found no Morgana, but had to duck out of sight at least twice to hide from patrolling guards. Once they were gone, Arthur pulled Merlin close to whisper to him.

“We’re going to split up on the next level.”

“Why?” Merlin hated splitting up. He usually got caught that way. On the other hand, he could use a little magic to find Morgana easier. There was a neat trick with a crystal he could try . . .

“We’ll find her quicker that way.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. Fine, they’d do it Arthur’s way—he _was_ the tactician. “All right.”

“You go up those stairs there and I’ll go back to the other set. And Merlin . . .”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t get caught.”

“Who, me?” Merlin grinned and took off for the closest set of stairs. Once Arthur was far enough away, Merlin took a small crystal out of his pocket. “ _Ætíe mé þá þé ic séce_ ,” he whispered. The crystal showed Morgana laying on a cot, hands in manacles that were chained to the wall. The room was small but definitely didn’t resemble the dungeon cells. The window also gave it away—they’d seen plenty of windows on the second and third levels of the castle, so she had to be in one of those rooms.

“ _Astyre mec tó Morgana_ ,” he whispered, and a golden light shot out the end of the crystal. It went up the stairs and as he began to follow it, Merlin fervently hoped no one else could see the light. On the next floor, he saw the light disappear partway down the corridor and he moved as quietly as he could to that door. Standing outside the door, he said, “ _Ende_ ,” and the light went out.

He tried the handle, but of course it was locked. “ _Aliese_ ,” he whispered. The door clicked and he quickly pushed it open, stepped inside and closed it again. “ _Leoht_.” A light lit up the tiny room.

Morgana stared at him in shock. “Did you just use magic?”

“Good to see you too, Morgana. Yes, I used magic.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh! You can help me with mine!”

“You have magic too?” It was his turn to be surprised. Of course he and Gaius had guessed Morgana had _some_ kind of magic, but who had told Morgana? He shook his head to clear it. “Well come on, I have to get you out of here.”

She cleared her throat and held up her wrists. “The manacles?”

“Oh, yes.” He grabbed both in his hands and murmured, “ _Aliese_ ” again.

The manacles fell away and Morgana rubbed her wrists. “Thanks.”

He grabbed her hands again and pulled her up, but there was a scuffling sound outside and the door and it flew open. “You!” a rough voice said, “what are you doing in here?”

“Ah, midnight snack for the prisoner?” Merlin tried. The man growled and drew his sword. Merlin figured he had half a second to react before he was sliced to ribbons. “ _Astryce!_ ” he yelled. The man flew back through the doorway, nearly colliding with a figure standing there. Merlin looked up, and to his horror, saw Arthur standing there, shock written all over his face. His light died then.

Morgana yanked on his hand. “Merlin, come on. What’s the . . .” she looked up to see Arthur. “Oh. Well, we’ve no time for this now.” She successfully pulled him into the corridor and stopped in front of the Prince. “Arthur,” she waved her hand in front of his face. When he looked at her, she nodded. “Good, come on. Which way out?”

Arthur pointed back the way he’d come. “This way.” They began running in that direction.

Another guard came at them, yelling a battle cry. Arthur drew his sword and slashed. The man went down and they ran past him. They ran into several more men, one or two at a time. Arthur dispatched them without comment and they kept running.

They got down the stairs and ran toward the entrance, but a figure was standing there. Merlin and Arthur squinted and blinked, trying to see it clearly, to no avail. “She’s obscuring herself,” Morgana explained. She looked up at the woman and said, “Please let us go.”

“I thought we were becoming friends, Morgana,” the woman said. “I’m sorry for this. _Hleap on bӕc!_ ”

Her eyes glowing gold was the last thing Merlin, Morgana and Arthur saw before they flew back into the wall behind them. Morgana slid down to crumple on the floor while Arthur and Merlin fell to their knees. “Who are you?” Arthur asked, dazed.

“I am no one to be trifled with. And Morgana is staying with _me_.”

She strode over and made to grab Morgana’s arm, but Merlin yelled, “ _Scildan!_ ” The woman couldn’t get her hand through Merlin’s shield.

“You have _magic_! Let me through you miserable wretch!” she demanded, banging her fists on the shield.

“I don’t think so. We’re going to leave and you can’t stop us,” Merlin retorted. He waved his hand and the woman was pushed far to the side. Then he stood and leaned down to help Morgana up, but she was unconscious. “Arthur,” Merlin prompted.

The Prince reached down and picked up Morgana, bridal style. “We’re going to have a long chat about your hobbies, _Mer_ lin,” he said and made for the door.

“Don’t bother following us,” Merlin spoke to the woman, “you don’t want to know what else I can do. And stay away from Camelot—it is under the protection of Emrys.”

The woman stopped pounding on the shield as Merlin stepped outside. He kept it up until they had run under the cover of the forest.

“Let’s get out of here,” Arthur announced. Merlin nodded and they made their way to the horses. Merlin helped Morgana onto Arthur’s horse and held her while the Prince mounted behind her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and said, “Stop staring and get on your horse.”

Merlin obeyed for once and quickly mounted. He nudged his horse into a fast walk at the same time Arthur did. At the same time, a loud sound erupted behind them. When they turned to look, they saw a horde of mercenaries stream out of the castle. “Great,” Merlin commented.

“Faster!” Arthur yelled. He spurred his horse to a quicker pace.

Merlin stopped his. “Go on, I’ll catch up.” Arthur looked at him like he was insane, but kept going. The warlock turned his horse to face the oncoming horde. He waited until they were about ten yards away, held up both hands and yelled, “ _Forþ floege!_ ”

He watched with satisfaction as the entire group of men flew back several yards and landed on their backs. Then he turned his horse, urged it into a gallop and began laughing his head off. Merlin was still laughing when he caught up to Arthur. The Prince gave him an odd look, but didn’t say anything. They just kept riding through the woods.

After a couple hours, everyone was drooping. Morgana had woken up and thanked her rescuers profusely. Arthur decided they were far enough away to stop and make camp. They tied up the horses and Merlin began collecting wood. Arthur made a bed for Morgana and helped her down to it. He covered her with another blanket then stepped back to sit on a downed log.

Merlin came back with several pieces of wood. He sat them in a cleared space and pulled the flint from his pack. Arthur watched Merlin fumble with the flint for a moment before asking, “Why don’t you just use magic?”

The warlock stopped and looked at his friend. “Just habit, I guess. _Bӕrne_.” The wood caught fire.

Arthur remained silent for a few minutes. Merlin just stayed in his place by the fire; he could guess what was on the Prince’s mind, but he didn’t want to bring it up himself. He very much enjoyed his head where it was. After a few more minutes, Merlin turned to his master. “I’m going to bed now. You’re not going to kill me in my sleep, are you?”

The joke fell flat and Arthur just stared at him. Merlin got out his bedroll and laid on it; Arthur’s eyes never left him. He sighed and rolled over, facing away with Arthur. After a few minutes, he fell asleep.

xxxXxxx

Merlin was surprised to wake up in the morning. He’d felt a swift kick and looked up into the glaring eyes of Arthur. “Get breakfast,” the Prince muttered, then stepped away to wake Morgana.

Merlin dug some dried fruit, bread and cheese out of his pack and split it three ways. He sat and munched on his portion while trying to catch Arthur’s eye. The Prince avoided him though, so he looked at Morgana instead. The Lady smiled at him and they had a short conversation before Arthur ordered him to pack up camp so they could leave as soon as possible.

Arthur and Morgana rode in front and spoke together now and then, but he still said nothing to Merlin. The warlock was at a total loss of what to think. Was Arthur waiting until they were back at Camelot to execute him? Would he to burn after all? Or would he let Merlin live and just continue to tolerate him? By the time they stopped to fill their flasks, Merlin was a mess of nerves.

Merlin went for Arthur’s flask and Arthur slapped his hand away. And because Merlin’s emotions were so close to the surface, he snapped. “What’s your problem?”

Arthur snapped right back. “ _My_ problem? You _really_ have to ask that?”

Morgana tried to step in. “Arthur, is this really the time or place for—” He silenced her with a glare. She put up her hands and backed away to sit on a large rock.

“You really want to do this now?” Merlin just wanted to clarify, but Arthur took it the wrong way, of course.

“Why not? We’re in the middle of nowhere. It works whatever I decide to do with you.”

“You haven’t decided?”

“Merlin, of course I haven’t decided!”

“But your father . . . the law . . .”

“In case it escaped your notice, I _don’t_ actually agree with my father in _everything_.”

“So . . . you _don’t_ want to execute me?”

“That’s the thing. You saved our lives back there, at least twice. Why would you do that if you’re evil?”

“There’s a simple answer for that.”

“I _know_ , all right? How can I reconcile that with what I’ve been taught? If I let you live, I lie to my father, my King. If I kill you I lose the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“You consider me a friend?”

“Don’t expect that to be repeated. _Ever_.” Merlin just grinned. Arthur cleared his throat. “So what do I do?”

“You know what I prefer.”

“Obviously. But then there’s the fact you’ve been lying to me for a year. How can I trust you?”

Morgana stood. “I trust him.”

Arthur looked at Morgana long and hard. He seemed to be reading something in her face for a moment, then nodded. “Anything else to confess, either of you, while we’re at it?”

“I see things in my dreams that come true. Oh, and I apparently have magic too,” Morgana commented.

Arthur threw his arms in the air. “Great. I get to protect you too.”

Merlin and Morgana looked at each other. “You’re not going to execute us?” Merlin asked.

Arthur blew out a sigh. “No.” Merlin attempted to go for a hug, but Arthur stepped back. “Sorry, I just . . . I’m not there yet.”

“That’s all right.” Merlin just grinned his mad grin.

Morgana though, rushed over to the Prince and threw her arms around him. Arthur wasn’t prepared for it though and nearly fell over. His arms went around her and he reveled in her warmth, her scent. All too soon she pulled away, but kept staring into his eyes. He saw the promise of something there and chills went down his spine. “Later,” she mouthed at him and he nodded.

Merlin, who’d seen the exchange, grinned even brighter. There definitely was something there and he’d make sure the two had time to talk. They weren’t going to make it back to Camelot tonight, so he could just take an extra-long time gathering wood for their campfire. Or something.

Arthur handed his flask over to Merlin, who took them to the nearby stream and filled them. They were soon back on their horses, riding side-by-side this time. The two boys fell back into their usual banter, with Morgana chiming in now and then. The atmosphere around them grew easy and the feeling lasted on into the evening when they stopped for the night.

The men helped Morgana down from the horse and over to a fallen log Merlin had uncovered. He unpacked the horses and Arthur made sure she was all right. Then Merlin made space for a fire and gathered up wood close by to build it while Arthur stalked the nearby woods to find fresh meat. He returned quickly and once the fire was going well, Merlin roasted the rabbits he’d skinned. They also had some of the remaining bread and cheese.

After dinner was over- and Arthur and Morgana were making significant eyes at each other -Merlin got up. He claimed he had dishes to wash and wood to gather because what they had wouldn’t last the night. The other two nodded and quickly agreed. Merlin left with a huge smile on his face.

At the fireside, all was quiet for a few minutes. Each waited for the other to speak, but when they finally did, they spoke at the same time. “I think—do you?”

They both laughed a little before Arthur said, “You first, my lady.”

“Don’t call me that. We know each other too well,” Morgana replied.

“All right.”

Morgana cleared her throat. “I missed you, the whole time I was being held.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Do you? What I really meant was I missed you but I knew you’d come for me. That you’d somehow find me and save me from whoever that was.”

“Of course. You’re like a sister to me. How could I not?”

“Arthur, don’t call me that. I think we both know we’ve been something more for a while now.”

He looked into her eyes. “You’re right. I—”

“No, let me say something.” Her eyes flicked down then back up as her resolve strengthened. “We’ve been close, then distant, but lately I’ve felt closer than ever to you. I don’t know why that is and I don’t really care.” She put a hand to the side of his face. “I-I think I love you, Arthur. For real this time, not in some silly, childish way. I can see myself by your side even if you weren’t the future king.”

Arthur’s cheeks flushed a little. He smiled and looked into Morgana’s eyes. In them he saw the honest truth—that she loved him like he loved her. And it was deeper and richer than their teenage games. He took her hand in his and stroked it with his thumb.

Morgana flushed. He’d been silent too long. Did that mean he didn’t love her? “Well, say something.”

He kept staring into her eyes. “Morgana, when I heard you’d been kidnapped I felt like my heart had stopped beating. But of course I had to be rational and make decisions. Later, when I stopped to think, I realized that you mean much more to me than a sister would, and definitely more than a friend.” He took her hand off his face to hold it in his. “I realized that I love you. Being without you is agony.”

“Oh Arthur.” She freed her arms, surged forward and wrapped them around his shoulders. She buried her face in his neck and just held on.

He stroked her hair and kissed her temple. “You’re what keeps me going, day after day. You’ve motivated me to be a better person and are always there for me. Those are qualities I would have in my future queen, Morgana, and I want her to be you.”

Morgana’s head sprung up and she looked into his eyes again. He was completely serious. “You mean it.”

“Absolutely, my love.” The hand in her hair cradled her face. “I’ll prove it.”

He tilted his head down while bringing hers toward him. Their lips met, tentative at first, but gradually increasing in strength. His arms wound around her waist to pull her closer. She went with him and soon they were pressed together as much as they could be in their current position. Her hands grabbed his head to hold them together when he broke for air.

“You’re amazing,” he said with wonder.

“I’m a lot more than that.” She pressed their lips together again, angling her head for an easier fit. They tried all kinds of kisses to see what they liked best, but eventually settled into one like their first.

That was the moment Merlin peeked his head out from behind a tree on the perimeter of the clearing. When he saw how involved they were, he ducked back behind the tree. He silently thanked whatever gods were out there then stood there waiting. It looked like they might be a while.

Morgana and Arthur finally came up for air and smiled at each other. “Merlin will be back any time now—should we tell him?” Arthur asked.

She took his hand. “Probably. He’s going to end up helping us, right? But can he keep a secret?”

“He hid his magic from us for a year.”

“True. And I’ll tell Gwen. I can’t not tell her. She’s my best friend.”

His smile grew and his free hand played with her hair. “When we get back, we’ll need to tell my father too. We’ll need his approval, of course, but I can’t see him saying ‘no’ to us. He’s been pushing us together for years.”

Her laugh sparkled. “Definitely.”

At that point, Merlin decided it was time to announce himself. He walked into the clearing with his armful of wood. Arthur and Morgana jumped and moved back from each other. Merlin just grinned in their general direction. “Sorry for being gone for so long. Anything important happen?”

He watched the other two exchange glances. Arthur took Morgana’s hand and looked up at his friend. “As a matter of fact, something _did_ happen. Morgana and I decided to be married.”

Merlin pretended to be surprised by dropping the wood he still held. “You’re kidding.”

“Actually, you didn’t get around to proposing yet,” Morgana chimed in.

Arthur clapped a hand to his chest. “My mistake.” He bowed and when he came back up, he slid his knees to the ground. He kissed the hand he still held and said, “My lady, would you do me the highest of honors and agree to become my wife?”

Merlin saw tears shine in her eyes. “Of course,” she replied. She bent forward and gave him a small pack on the lips. Arthur removed the ring from his forefinger and slid it onto hers. She giggled and examined the ring on her hand.

The warlock clapped then bent down to pick up the fallen wood. He fed some into the fire then said, “Well I’m glad that’s sorted. Can we go to bed now? It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.”

His two companions chuckled but agreed. Soon the bedrolls were laid out and their occupants sitting on them. Merlin looked at the happy couple, who couldn’t take their eyes off each other. “You know, I didn’t say it before, but I really am happy for you. Congratulations.”

Morgana smiled brightly. “Thank you, Merlin. That means a lot.”

Arthur rolled his eyes then nodded. “Yes. What she said.” He smiled too.

“Well, goodnight then.”

“Goodnight,” Arthur and Morgana said together. They chuckled for a moment before all three laid down. Arthur’s and Morgana’s hands linked as they all fell asleep.

xxxXxxx

Merlin woke first in the morning. He sat up and glanced at his two companions. He found that though they’d both shifted in the night, their hands still remained within touching distance. Arthur would probably scold him for letting them sleep, but he decided to pack what he could first. It had been a harrowing couple of days and he thought that Camelot would seem sedate after this.

Eventually he was left with nothing to do but wake up the sleeping couple. The expected scolding didn’t materialize, so they enjoyed breakfast and got on the road. Only a few hours separated them from home and they were all anxious to get there.

People chattered as they crossed through the gate and into the courtyard. Uther was standing at the top of the steps, Gwen a few steps behind. But when she saw them, she dashed down the steps and ran over to where Morgana and Arthur were dismounting.

As soon as Morgana was on the ground, Gwen nearly tackled her with an embrace. They talked quietly as they walked up the steps. Arthur had already stepped up to talk to his father. “You’re unharmed?” Uther asked.

“Fortunately. We found Morgana unharmed as well. Her captor was a woman who shrouded herself in magic. We couldn’t determine her identity.”

Uther turned to Morgana and held out his arms. She went into them gladly. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” Uther told her. He stepped back to look her over. “You look well.”

“The ride home was very refreshing,” she commented with a sparkle in her eye. “But I think I need a bath.”

“Of course. Take it easy today, Morgana. We can talk later.” She smiled and waved as Uther turned back to his son. “That goes for you, too, Arthur. We’ll dine together tonight.”

Arthur nodded. “Of course, Father.” He looked around for his wayward servant. “Merlin!”

“Coming sire,” he said from behind the retreating horses.

“Get me a bath. And make sure my favorite shirt is clean. Of course my armor will need polishing and my sword sharpening . . .” Arthur rattled on and on until they got inside his chambers then stopped. “You probably heat my bathwater with magic, don’t you?”

Merlin just grinned and began stripping Arthur of his armor. Then he was off to haul up the bathwater. In other words, business as usual.

When Merlin returned, he found Arthur sitting in his favorite chair at the table. “You look like you’re thinking,” he commented, “that’s dangerous, you know.”

“Ha, ha,” Arthur replied.

“Thinking about Morgana?”

“It’s hard not to.”

“I can imagine.” He glanced over at the tub he’d brought out. “Y’know, I can fill that up and heat it without all the trips to the well.”

“That’s all fine and good, _Mer_ lin, but if you want to keep your head you’ll make all those trips. Keep up the pretense, you know.”

“Right. Got it. You probably just want to daydream about Morgana some more.”

Arthur flushed. “Shut up and do your job.”

The warlock rolled his eyes and sighed, but poured the bucketful into the tub and left again. If Arthur was going to be insufferable for a while that was fine; love did strange things to a person. But the Prince did deserve to be happy.

xxxXxxx

Once Morgana and Gwen made it inside Morgana’s chambers and the door was closed, Gwen turned to Morgana. “Something’s different about you, _my lady_ , you’re actually _glowing_.”

The Lady grinned the widest Gwen had ever seen. “Can you keep a secret?”

“You know I can.”

“I’m in love!”

Gwen squealed. “I thought I’d noticed something over the last few months! But who is it?” Morgana held up her hand. “Is that . . . oh my goodness, it is! Arthur’s ring!”

“Lately I’ve been . . . well, you’ve seen. And it was all over him. He’s become all I can think about . . . and he feels the same way.”

“That’s amazing! But you’re wearing his ring—does that mean . . .?”

“It does! I’ve agreed to marry him, sometime soon, I hope.” Gwen shrieked and jumped up and down a bit. Morgana held her hands over her ears until Gwen settled back down. “We’ve got to talk to Uther, of course, to get his approval, but I can’t see him saying no.”

“Nor I. He’s been throwing you two at each other for years!” she glanced down for a moment, unsure of something. “Oh, please may I make your wedding gown?”

Morgana lifter her chin up. “Gwen! I’m shocked. You think I’d choose any other run-of-the mill seamstress over you? Honestly.”

Gwen threw her arms around her friend. “Oh thank you Morgana! I have such ideas!” She stepped back and looked at the state of Morgana’s person. “Oh, silly me! Of course you still need a nice, warm bath. We can talk about your dress while you bathe.”

Morgana laughed. “Of course. Go on with you now.”

Gwen pushed her down on her bed. “Now, you just relax. Leave your comfort up to me and I’ll set you to rights in no time.”

She rushed off and Morgana lay back on her bed. It felt so nice after the terrible cot and the hard ground. She curled up and let the remaining tension she felt float away. And if she fell asleep, well, Gwen would wake her when it was time. She did just that, her daydreams about her love drifting into real dreams of her future.

xxxXxxx

Later that evening, Arthur knocked on Morgana’s door. He’d had a nice, relaxing afternoon in his chambers, doing nothing in particular. Merlin kept him entertained with witty banter and his chores, even answering questions about his magic.

Gwen opened the door, smiling widely when she saw him. “Come in” she said, still grinning.

“Morgana told you, didn’t she?” he commented.

She gave him a look of mock offense. “Of course! We’re friends, you know.”

Arthur smiled back. “I’m glad she has you.”

“And I’m glad she has _you_.” She turned away to call out, “Morgana, your escort is here.”

Morgana stepped out from behind her dressing screen. “My escort? Oh.” She hadn’t seen Arthur at first, but he smiled in a way she knew was just for her. She walked over to him and said, “Hi.”

“Hello there.”

“It’s like I’m not even here,” Gwen said, her smile reappearing. The other two looked surprised. “Oh, go on with you. I’ll see you down there in a moment.” She stepped away to do something or other while Arthur and Morgana stared at each other.

“Shall we?” he suggested.

“No time like the present.” He held out his arm and she took it, drawing her gradually out of the room.

As they walked down the corridor, he asked her, “How was your afternoon?”

“Relaxing. I even had a nap while Gwen drew my bath.” She glanced down and blushed.

“What is it?”

“I dreamt about you.”

“You mean like a daydream, or . . .?”

“No, they were visions. They look and feel more real than regular dreams. That’s how I know.”

“Oh. So?”

“They weren’t happy at first. I saw you holding your father’s hand as he passed from this life.” Arthur stopped for a moment, shocked. She touched his face and said, “Don’t worry. It’s not for a long time. You looked several years older.”

He resumed walking. “That’s good, I suppose. Go on.”

“I saw you, holding a child with another sitting by your side.”

“Ours?”

“No, mine and Gwen’s.” He looked shocked for a moment before she smacked his arm. “Of course _ours_. I was looking down at you and smiling.”

“Oh. That’s a relief.”

“You left yourself open to that.”

“That I did.”

“I saw several other smaller snippets—you working with Merlin at your side, you reading a proclamation legalizing magic, me learning magic from Merlin, children happily practicing magic in the streets . . . I could go on. It’s so nice to dream about beautiful things.”

He smiled down at her. “I know you’re used to nightmares. Those are _bad_ visions, huh?”

“Yes.” She looked up then and saw they’d reached the dining hall without either of them noticing. “We made it. Are you ready for this?”

“I know I’m sure about you.”

She kissed his cheek and he opened the doors for them. Uther stood when he saw Morgana enter; he seemed puzzled by seeing her and Arthur together, but smiled anyway. “You both look refreshed,” he said.

Arthur escorted Morgana to her chair and pulled it out for her. She smiled and thanked him as he walked around the table to his seat. “I had a short nap,” she commented to the King.

He patted her hand. “I’m glad.” He turned to his son, “Arthur?”

“Just relaxed.”

At that moment, Merlin and Gwen came in with the food. They served the three royals and any further conversation was halted for the time being.

Uther finished before the other two and decided to begin his questioning. Morgana told him everything that happened at her father’s gravesite and after, from her kidnapping to her captivity and questioning by the mysterious magical woman. Uther’s face hardened at this, but he smiled again when Morgana related how she hadn’t told the woman much at all.

Arthur shared everything he and Merlin had done, up until they’d found Morgana. After that, he edited heavily. The journey home was summed up rather quickly because he was sure his father was going to bring up the most important element of it sooner or later.

It turned out to be sooner. “I was surprised to see you come in the way you did. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two enter together.”

Arthur nearly choked on his sip of wine. Merlin hurried over to pat him on the back and take his goblet. Arthur swallowed and coughed, but gradually took in enough air to answer, “We decided to get along.”

“What brought this on?”

“You might say it’s been brewing for months,” Morgana remarked.

The King folded his hands together. “Tell me what I’m missing.”

Arthur and Morgana exchanged a glance. “We’ve been taking greater notice of each other over the past few months,” Morgana started.

“She’s inspired me so many times, to do what’s right instead of what’s easy.”

“He’s growing into the man I know he can be.”

“It all came to a head on our way back here. Last night, we talked about our feelings and discovered that we love each other.”

Uther looked at them, surprised. “You do?”

“Father, would I lie about something like this?”

The King examined the Prince carefully. “No, you wouldn’t.”

Morgana reached out her left hand; Arthur took it in his right. The ring on Morgana’s hand caught Uther’s eye. “What’s this?” He nodded at her hand.

Arthur and Morgana smiled at each other. “Arthur’s asked me to marry him and I’ve agreed.”

They both turned to look at Uther. He looked surprised, but that morphed into a smile brighter than either had seen before. “This is wonderful!” He stood abruptly.

“Does that mean we have your approval?” Arthur wondered.

“Of course! I’ve been hoping for years that something like this would develop between you.” Full of joy, he laughed.

Arthur and Morgana stared, disbelieving, sure the world had turned upside down on itself or something similar. The King _never_ showed this much emotion. They looked at each other then back at Uther, slow smiles spreading over their faces.

Uther clapped his hands together. “We must have a feast to celebrate! And you must be married sooner rather than later. Six weeks will be soon enough, what do you think?” And he launched himself into a planning monologue that the happy couple drowned out.

They merely stared into each other’s eyes and smiled like the crazy fools in love that they were.

xxxXxxx

In the morning, Morgana made her way down to Gaius’s chambers. It was still rather early, so she surprised the physician who was working quietly at his table. “My Lady! Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes. Gaius, is Merlin awake yet?”

“Not quite, but I can wake him. He needs to get up soon anyway.”

“Please. I take it he told you everything that happened on our, um, adventure?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then I don’t have to explain much unless you have questions?”

“None I can think of at the moment.” He opened Merlin’s door and shut it behind him. Within seconds, she heard Merlin groan and Gaius explain. A minute later, Gaius exited. It took Merlin a few more minutes, but he looked awake and happy when he emerged.

“Morgana, you’re up early. What can I do for you?”

She looked at Gaius then back at the warlock. “Merlin, I want you to teach me about magic.”

His mouth fell open. “You what now?”

“I had a vision yesterday. In it, I saw you teaching me magic . . . amongst other things.” She blushed lightly.

Gaius came toward them. “My lady, I’m not sure that’s very—”

“I’ll do it,” Merlin interjected.

“But Merlin . . .”

“Gaius, there are ways to hide this from the King. I’ve been doing it for over a year, and since Arthur knows and won’t let anything happen to Morgana,” he winked here, “I think we’ll be all right.”

The physician still looked skeptical. “If you’re going to do this, at least be extremely careful. You’ll have to find a good place to do it, maybe the forest?”

“Good idea Gaius.” He smiled at Morgana. “We can work out other details later. I think you’re about to have a very busy day.” He quirked an eyebrow her that looked so much like Gaius’s that she laughed.

“What’s going on?” Gaius wanted to know.

Merlin and Morgana exchanged glances. Both smirked. “You’ll find out,” Merlin explained. “Have a good day, my lady.” He bowed to her.

“Oh, Merlin,” She said with fondness, and pulled him up. “Someday you won’t have to say that anymore.”

He picked up her hand to kiss the knuckles. “I look forward to then, then, Morgana.”

She laughed again. “See you at the feast.” And with a wave, she was off.

Gaius turned to Merlin and crossed his hands over his chest. “Is there something you forgot to tell me last night?”

“Yes, but it’s good news. I’ll be surprised if the King doesn’t tell you sooner rather than later.”

“The King?”

“Trust me, Gaius, it’ll make more sense coming from him.”

Gaius’s eyebrow lifted, but Merlin ignored it. He was having too much fun with this secret and it hurt no one. "All right, Merlin. Here.” He handed his ward an apple. “Get to work.”

“Bye, Gaius.”

xxxXxxx

Uther spent a good portion of the day organizing the most lavish feast Camelot had seen in a long time. The kitchens outdid themselves with the favorite dishes of all three royals. The tables practically groaned under the weight of the food. The invited nobles exclaimed in surprise at the food and decorations. Speculation over the occasion was heard since they were between major holidays and no happy announcements had been made.

The King sat at the center of the head table, Arthur to his right and Morgana to his left, as usual. Several people noticed him glancing between the two with a wide smile on his face. The Prince’s and the Lady’s servants also grinned like maniacs, as if they knew some great secret. Everyone watched the King for a sign he’d make a speech, but he didn’t rise until nearly everyone had finished eating.

The crowd quieted instantly. The King smiled widely, like many hadn’t seen since before Queen Ygraine’s death. “I am so glad all of you are here to celebrate this most happy occasion with me.” People looked at their neighbors in question, _what occasion?_

The King continued. “I have recently learned that two of those dearest to me have fallen in love and wish to be married. I have given them my permission gladly—please stand, Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana.”

Uther took both their hands and held them in his for a moment, looking at one then the other. Then he joined their hands together and stepped back, smiling. Arthur and Morgana stood there, holding each other’s’ hands and grinning like mad. They glanced at each other then back out at the crowd where they heard not only clapping but a few catcalls.

Soon they heard a word being chanted by a few, which others quickly took up. “Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss . . .”

Arthur and Morgana looked at each other. “Shall we oblige them?” he asked.

“Why not?”

They leaned close together and their lips met in the middle. It was a slow, chaste kiss, but the people applauded loudly anyway. When they broke apart, they stared at each other and smiled. This was only the beginning of their life together.

xxxXxxx

_Epilogue_

The engagement ball soon followed that first feast. In that time, Merlin and Morgana had met a few times, sometimes with Arthur watching, to practice magic. Morgana was a quick learner and soon mastered everything Merlin knew. After that, they studied the magic book Gaius had given Merlin and grew in power and control together.

Gwen created a beautiful wedding gown for her best friend. The crowd wowed as Morgana walked down the aisle in the center of the Great Hall. Arthur’s mouth fell open and nearly stayed that way until Uther prompted him to close it. He also had to be prompted to say what he needed to say during the handfasting. Merlin noticed and had to physically restrain himself from laughing out loud at his awestruck friend.

The feast afterward outshone the one that had been held for Uther’s announcement. Nobles and servants both enjoyed the food and sat together at the same tables. The happy couple smiled and smiled at each other, their friends and their guests. It was a night that everyone would remember always.

xxxXxxx

Morgause sat in her throne and fumed. She’d taken out her wrath on the surviving mercenaries, leaving only their leader alive. That was sufficient punishment for failing her so spectacularly.

She regretted that she’d had so little time with Morgana, but didn’t blame her sister. The girl had the potential to be a great High Priestess, if she could only get to her before she made any unalterable mistakes. And then there was Arthur. He had a reckoning coming too—he’d either prove to be the great king of prophecy or a puppet of his father. She hoped the former, because she’d hate to waste such potential.

And Emrys. She hadn’t expected to come face-to-face with him. Ever. And if he thought she’d heed his warning, he was sadly mistaken. Perhaps she’d have to test him too, though it looked like he’d follow Arthur to the ends of the earth. Most interesting. It seemed she’d gotten more out of her short time with Morgana than she’d thought.


End file.
